Little Shop of Horrors

How delightful was this??? Congratulations go out, as usual, to The Lyric in Atlanta, this time around, for their production, Little Shop of Horrors. For the avid readers please know that, after seeing this show, I have decided to go ahead and do a webpage for Theater Consulting. There's no excuse for bad theater.

At any rate, this is not the case. But let me start from the beginning: The Lyric is a wonderful space. The organization at the entrance probably needs a little help, as there was not a House Manager present for the ushers nor the audience. Special Audience Members were allowed to sit in the house before house opened and other paying guests tried to follow suit, but were told they could not come in yet. Kinda un-fair, when they can plainly see people already sitting inside. *shrug* Different houses, different rules.

Unfortunately front of House was not set up in time to accommodate the audience members, but everything ran without a hitch. Well done and with enthusiasm. The show, itself, had a good house for a matinee. One of Atlanta's famous Directors/Actresses was in attendance: Mrs. Barbara Cole Uterhardt. Her husband, the very talented and ever-surprising, Googie Uterhardt, was in the show and, as always, a delight to see. But we'll talk about him in a second. Miss Laine Binder manned the light board - and wow: is there nothing this woman can't do? I mean, really - the Diva of the stage, now donned all in black to run the light board? Talk about your Theater lover!

The set design was very good. Congrats to Mr. McKenzie for his work. The Costumes were appropriately designed, picked and coordinated. From the moment the street urchins hit the stage, the professional look of the entire show was set. Well done, Mr. Stefferud! The Lighting was a little dark, but perhaps that was what the lighting designer, Mr. Magursky, wanted. If so, it works. All of the music in the show was pre-recorded and the actors sang to it. Nothing wrong with that. I'd have loved to have seen the cast with an orchestra for this show, but with the space, there probably wasn't room. Props to Mr. Blocker, the new Artistic Director and Musical Director, for this decision.

This was really a fun show. Googie was hilarious as most of the extra characters. But when he came down the isle, dressed all in black leather, as the pain-loving dentist, Orin Scrivello- wow, that was it! Googie can truly transform with a minute's notice! Well done, Googie! Mr. Mushnik, played by OSA's "Urinetown" own Caldwell B. Cladwell , Robert Wayne, was hilarious as usual.

Didn't quite understand why the Artistic Director was in the booth the entire time, but, not knowing the circumstances surrounding the show or the crew, and, it is his theater, ...*shrug* Usually the only people in the booth run the show. Ah well.

The Choreography was flawless! The urchins were exact on every movement and all choreography in the show was extremely entertaining! And with no wonder! The fabulously talented Ricardo Aponte was on the scene for this one, folks! Brilliantly talented, Mr. Aponte has taken another musical further than they expected to go. And I'm sure he made everyone work hard to perfection!

Didn't quite understand the announcements before Act II, which probably should have been done before the show, but...*shrug* Oh well.

The Singing Plant, Audrey II, could have been a little better animated. The plant, itself, was pretty good, but mouth movements and motion with energy could have been better and more on point with the vocal styling of Mr. Bowden.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience. This show is definitely worth a visit to The Lyric. It's been held over - last 3 performances are October 4th, 5th and 6th. It's a good evening of theater.

365 Days Plays - Week 44

Having studied Suzan-Lori Parks at the University of Florida under a very well-known instructor of African-American Literature and Theatre, I was kinda stumped at what I saw in this 45 -minute production. I was glad it was only 45 minutes, really. I guess I had expected something different, definitely with a message - not that they didn't have messages. Maybe something else came across. It was good to see Miss Kimberly Geter on stage again after so long. Her facial expressions were excellent - she should do more comedic roles in the future. Miss Rachel Bodenstein was very energetic and moved fluidly on the stage. Clary Martin was also a delight to watch in his all-black suit. Clay hasn't been on the scene a lot in Atlanta, so his presence was definitely welcomed. Miss Erin Weller's mask in one of the plays was so incredibly haunting that eyes couldn't look anywhere else but at her: she utilized the mask in with great physical expressoin that it made the scene that much more enjoyable. Weird, but enjoyable. Youth Creates was a apart of this ensemble piece of work and, while they were children ages 10-15 or so, I think they would have benefitted more being on stage with professional actors than being cast as ants. And ants don't really make noise. It was cute the first time they came out to do a scene change and clear the stage, but throughout the other plays - the "meeping" was kinda annoying - like the child out in the hallway of the apartment building where I live at. Her yelling echos. It's annoying. All in all, the evening could have been better. Really. I expected more from Ms. Parks' work and the use of children on stage. It's always so important to utilize talent at an early age and being ants was not something they could really expand on in front of an audience. Perhaps the other 51 weeks of Ms. Parks' work is better than this.

The Summerhouse in April

Jean Sterrett's company Curly Willow Productions, Inc. presented a lovely story about a family in Australia during a war. Now, it wasn't real clear as to which war, but the audience followed as best as it could. You see, the program that theater guests receive did not include a synopsis of any kind, any reference to place or time, nor any Director's Notes. Perhaps things were rushed at the last minute and these things were forgotten. Or the Production Company isn't used to doing shows yet: this might be one of the first.

Some most notable things about this production are the following:

The piano at the end of Act I stopped playing and the actress playing the mother kept fingering the keys - and then the music came back up later. Interesting. Well, these things do happen. Great cover, Sheila!

Laine Binder - one can't say enough great things about this actress. Ms. Sterrett chose her actors brilliantly. Laine's costume with the purple rounded skirt and white period top created such a glowing presence for Laine on stage. This costume completely complimented the character. Lots of acting teachers say there's a little bit of the actor in each character they play: this is very true of Laine playing the character, Isabel. Very chatty, seemingly innocent, filled with fun and family love. Laine Binder is already known in Atlanta for being a musical theater actress, so the piano playing in this show was a natural for her.The audience completely fell in love with this character and Laine presented it nicely. Well done, Laine!

In general, all the costumes were brilliant. Nothing was out of place: the costume designer did a fabulous job.

Bradley Bergeron played the character, Charlie. Knowing Bradley around town as more of a technician, it was great to see him, not only onstage, but playing the piano - for real! His Aussie accent was very convincing and his concentration on stage was magnificent. Well done, Bradley!

Above all, Ms. KellyCriss was the favorite to watch on stage. Brilliant acting, excellent concentration, fluid movement - she was a dream.

Mr. Eric Mendenall had the first real noticeable accent on stage. He kept it constant, while some of the others on stage slipped in and out of either Aussie or British accents.

Set design was very beautiful. Major props to the set designer, Andrea Davinci Braun.

There was an unnecessary light change when the character, Charlie, had a cyst on his "bum" and the doctor, Ian, had to look at it. From there, the lights dimmed and then Geraldine came into the room. It seemed that a smoother transition could have come without the light change as the actors in the previous scene exited before the lights dimmed.

The scenes out on the patio seemed a little cramped, but with the set and space, not sure how else those scenes could have played out. It was just a little awkward at times.

The show was excellently cast, from on stage to tech to designers. Brilliantly done! The story was very pleasant and flowed really well.

Company at Kingswood

I must say, and this is the first time I'm using "I" in a review, that this was a delight to see. Kingswood Stage II presented the Sondheim musical, "Company." Let's do this in number, shall we? There was a lot to note:
1. I'll have to write Barry Manilow. I did not realize that "Marry Me a Little" was the end to Act I of this show. It is the last song on the CD by Barry Manilow entitled "Trying to Get the Feeling Again." For those that are not Manilow fans, please, just ignore this.
2. The lighting was very dim upstage. A lot of times I was wishing for more light on the characters up-center. Dennis Lewallen's face was the only actor on stage whose eyes were not clearly visible from the audience because of shadows. Looking up in the rafters of the space, I was noticing that perhaps two more lighting instruments focused more upstage would have helped.
3. The character, Amy, played by Stephanie Harp, was definitely your stereotypical female: over-reacting to the very pleasant situation and making things complicated for poor Paul. She so needed her "girlfriends" with her at that moment. But Robert was there to help her straighten things out. Well done!
4. Paul's character, played by Steve Grundy, was absolutely phenomenal handling the shaky bride-to-be, Amy. Nicely done!
5. Susan's dress was gorgeous! Susan, played by Lisa Williams, donned a lovely white dress with a black pattern that flattered her frame and set the character. Noticing there wasn't a Costume Designer listed, I'm assuming that this is from her personal wardrobe. Well done!
6. Marta, played by the most gorgeous Rachel Miller, had interesting blocking in a scene with the lead character, Robert, played by the Director of the show, William Mahlandt. The scene had Robert and Marta discussing things downstage center. All I can remember is part of a line of Roberts where he stated she was very different or unique or something to that effect. At any rate, all of that blocking was...I wished it was different. More of Rachel standing still and showing more facial expressions of her character. When she showed her face in the light, it was excellent. She expressed the punk-rock and difference of her character's life as opposed to the rapid movement back and forth to Robert and then to the edge of the light and back. I just wished there was more for her to do.
7. Speaking of "wanting more", there was Larry, played by the incomparable Charlie Miller. Act I had me wanting to see more of the "rich man" and less of the "mouse." I wanted to see why Joanne, played by Katie Rouse, was attracted to him. Why she chose him, other than the money.
8. There are many shows in the Atlanta area where, if the Director is also an Actor in the play, it causes a lot of difficulty and the show lacks the important Director's eye that is necessary, especially during Tech Week. This is not the case, from the audience point of view. William Mahlandt, who plays Robert, had the character down to a "T." Very nicely done, pulled it off well, played well with the other characters, didn't miss a beat. It worked.
9. It also worked with Dennis Lewallen, the Musical Director, who also played Harry in the show. It worked for him and he showed a lot of emotion on stage.
10. Dennis was definitely out-shown by his wife, Gail Lewallen, who played his wife, Sarah, on stage. She was very entertaining to watch as she glided on the stage and portrayed the very hungry diet-toting wife with a lot of opinions. She should definitely be in a lot more shows in town.
11. The theater was freezing cold. Many patrons complained about the cold during intermission, but as the only person the audience knew to be of any importance to the theater, the Box Office Manager, had disappeared during Act I, there wasn't anyone to formally complain to. Hopefully someone will be around for the next production.
12. The pianist, Sindhu Giedd, was extraordinary! She was the only musical accompanist on the stage and she held her own! May the heavens continue to bless her fingers! She did a bang-up job!
13. The music in the entire show was Divine. I can definitely see why it won the Tony in 1970.
14. The acting blocks were the only real set pieces on stage. And they worked well. So well, in fact, that the audience was always transported to the different places that Robert went without explanation. Well done!
15. The choreography was great - especially in the second act. It wasn't too much, it wasn't too campy, it was just right.

This show explored for the audience the importance of friendships. In general, friendships help all of us to make the right decisions in our lives and even enjoy a little bit of life: even when we feel at our lowest. Well done to the players and the direction behind it!

Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge

Well, it's not your typical Christmas tale. And rightfully so. This entertaining story of "A Christmas Carol" takes a wild turn when the Ghost of Christmas past, present and yet to come, all played by Ms. Fracena Byrd, has a glitch in her magic to take Scrooge to the places he needs to be. Dickins, it ain't. Fun, it certainly is. The music was wonderful. Everyone's voice on stage was in tune, in time and rang beautifully. There weren't a lot of songs, but God Bless It - they worked! The events, now, well - there were some references to the future that didn't fit. For example, the typical audience member will buy the 1800s Scrooge being visited by a timeless spirit, but they will not buy the spirit wearing something so modern as a UPS uniform. Or Tiny Tim quoting "The San Fransisco Treat" line. It was out of place. More clever things could have been inserted that would have worked just as well. Consistency: there was a little lacking of that. Topher Payne was, as always, the diva in drag and a wonderful straight man when needed. Mrs. Cratchit, played by Johann Linden, was hilarious. Very unhappy with her lot in life, but definitely the eye of Scrooge's eye. Who would've thunk it?

The idea of the Cratchits having 20 kids total was also unnecessary. The story line would have been just as good with this man having to secure enough food and money to support a family of six. The McDonald's was a bit out of place as well. Something more period would have been just as funny appearing out of the air, like the fish from Mrs. Cratchit when she came back from the river. The "It's a Wonderful Life" reference was hysterical. That added a lovely element to the story and brought in Clarence, played by Robert Wayne. The "Flicka" reference and the "Touched By An Angel" reference was just wonderfully placed. Again, a bit out of date, not consistent with the mood of where the story was going, but it was cute. Something from 1970s television would have been better, getting the audience ready for 1977, but hey - there you have it. The music was a bit too loud and over-took the singers at times, but all in all, a lovely show.

Fix Me So I Can Stand

Not often are shows so touching that they make you think for weeks and weeks and weeks afterwards. "Fix Me So I Can Stand" is one of those shows. Beautifully written by Ms. Jean Sterrett, this show captures you in the first 5 minutes of the show. And that's important. Brilliantly cast by Dina Shadwell and the Essential Theatre Company, this show was so intense and mixed laughter with shock and sadness that it had the whole audience wanting more. Patrick McColery was just so adorably slick it was unreal. Ms. Kim Salome brings charm to every character she portrays. As Miss Myrtle Jane Hogan in this show, the perfection was not a surprise. Mr. Mark Russ was very convincing as the New Jersey attorney, Buddy Watts. Mark was very intense as well and was a pleasure to watch as he defended the man, "Johnny." Spencer Stephens is another Atlanta actor that brings professionalism and charm to every character he portrays. In the 2nd act of this show, he is simply "man." But as "man" he takes on the role of "Johnny" from time to time. That was one of the problems. Not sure if it was written that way that his pronouns of "me" and "he" were intertwined so much that it lead the audience to believe that the "man" was really "Johnny" and not really "man." There were times near the end of Act 2 that it just got... if someone were following the entire time, they'd be kinda confused. We're introduced that this is "man" talking about the tale and not "Johnny" but yet, near the end, we're not real sure. Maybe this was the author's intent, but the story is - was - past tense to the actions that Mark Russ' character, Buddy Watts, explains at the very end. Or was it? Belinda was divine and her character, Ginny, was just heartbreaking for all women in the audience. She put up with a lot and the idea of seeing a doctor for his mental illness at the time "Johnny" got out was not something that was common. God bless her. All in all, the show was wonderfully written. At one time or another, anyone could close their eyes and still follow the show and well as any radio play. An intense drama in its best form.

Well done!

For some odd reason Blogger isn't letting me put a title on this so the title is:

"Greater Tuna"

Theatre Decatur's production of "Greater Tuna" wasn't as bad as it really could have been. But the audience, I'm sure, was thankful that the show lasted only an hour and 40 minutes tops.

The story jumps from the set of a radio station in Tuna, Texas, to the dining room of a family's house to a funeral parlor to different radio ads to a humane society's office to the sheriff's office. All with the set being a stationary, non-changing piece with big words center stage "WKKK." It was difficult to know if this play was mostly about the radio station, or the family, or the murder of the judge - even with the lights changing it was just very hard to know when they were on the radio and when they weren't. What would have been better on this set would have been three playing areas: one for the radio station, one for the family's house and one for every other scene.
The two gentlemen that play all the characters, Mr. Chuck Richards and Mr. Jim Marks, did their very best to provide entertainment within this realm of ever-changing situations. Chuck was very engaging to watch and very focused with the audience. His breaking of the fourth wall as the mother character was kind aodd, but as the reverend, he was dead-on with the Baptist South. Jim did not follow as well. His characters were very one-demensional and even in drag, he seemed to be concentrating more on his words than the entertainment of his characters.

As for writing in the script, there were some decent one-liners. If delivered right, this would have been a very memorable play on the positive side. There was a couple of sections about a dog named Yippee where Jim was a character talking to Yippee and Chuck was the voice "yipping" behind paper or backstage. It didn't work. Not when the audience was already introduced to something called "sound effects" controlled from the booth.

Costume-wise, the green and white dress that Jim's character had on at one point was gorgeous and perfect. On the opposite end of that, the cow print costume that Jim had on as the teenager cheerleader-wanna-be was a definite "no" - not appropriate at all for the scene.

At the funeral parlor, it was very clear where the judge was lying. The two actors on stage were not consistent with the area of the coffin and the direction in which he was laying. This was true with them both on stage and when one was gone. At times it was as if they were walking over or through the coffin to change places on stage. It was weird.

Between the two acts, Act II was more entertaining than I. God bless the boys for trying, but the show was not something I'd have people pay money to see.

Zombies from the Beyond

Now, granted, there are shows that you would see in the paper or online and think they are doomed from the beginning. There are shows that you consider leaving at intermission once you see how bad the first couple of lines from Act I are. This is one of those shows. And this show changes the tune and grows on the audience before intermission. That's why people stay for Act II. Never take this show seriously - it's fun. It's light. It's Sci-Fi and very campy. Annie Cook did a fabulous job with the voices she was given. Well done to her and her piano playing! The set was ok, so props to Anthony Owen for that. The lights, however...way too much red, not enough light on Carrie Manuel's character in her Act I song "In the Stars" God bless Kevin Swisher playing Major Malone, but there was just a cringe in the audience anytime he had to sing. Anytime he had to move on stage. He's a great straight and comedic actor, but the musical thing - ah, no. Same goes for Sergio Estrada playing Rick Jones. High notes were not Sergio's forte. He looks great in a uniform, he had good comedic timing in Act I, but playing a Russian, he lost his accent often in Act II. Consistency. The bright and shining star on the stage is Ms. Charlene "Charlie" Osmanski. What a doll! What excellent comedic timing! What a fun character and she pulls it off without blinking an eye! Would have loved to see her smiling in the Act I dance number, "Blast Off Baby", but it's minor. Nothing, of course, can compare to Ms. Alli Simpson or Mr. Michael Austin - these two veteran professionals of Atlanta stage were brilliantly funny in their roles. Alli's costumes as Zombina were over-the-top and she worked them well! Michael's dance steps were devine, although - a note to the playwright, if that's where this would go - If you have a scene with two people and one is in tap shoes, and the other starts dancing without tap shoes - might wanna get her some tap shoes. It looks funny and the audience was waiting for those tapping feet to continue with the music. Trenton Corbett was a delight: a very good "straight man" in the comedy. Over-all, not too bad. Good story about a town and a UFO and a diva from outter space.

It could happen.